I just received some of the most positive feedback yet on my new novel from a professional developmental editor with Writer’s Digest 2nd Draft critique service.
The editor assessed my full manuscript for Real Girl, a science fiction thriller about a lifelike robot who tries to escape from an augmented reality competition where people can hunt and kill her for sport. He described it as “Ex Machina/Blade Runner atmospheric science fiction with a Pygmalion twist.”
“This is one of the best unpublished manuscripts I have ever read,” the editor wrote. “This is a science-fiction novel with a lot of heart in addition to the action. It has a strong female character and a man who becomes a better person as a result of his relationship with her—even though she isn’t a ‘real girl.’ This should appeal to everyone who enjoyed Ready Player One plus those who enjoy a coherent future world populated with empathetic and realistic characters.”
The editor analyzed all 229 pages, providing feedback on everything from the plot and pacing to concept and characters. He also thought it had strong film potential:
“Science fiction continues to remain extremely popular, and this project could easily fit into any publisher’s SF line,” the editor wrote. “It also has strong movie/tv potential and should be pitched to movie agents as well as book agents. The strong vision of a coherent future world that is interesting and unique, coupled with enormous heart and emotional impact, could make this an attractive media project.”
My next step is to incorporate the editor’s specific recommendations while I wait to hear back from the literary agents I pitched Real Girl to during the Writer’s Digest Annual Conference in New York City.